Zakruul
Appearance Zakruul stands very tall for an orc, easily above seven feet. However, he is not overly thick or monstrously muscular and is in fact quite lean for an orc. His skin is a much darker shade of green than regular and covered in discolorations that have come with age. Across his body are numerable scars that have been left from the many wars Zakruul has fought, most of his life being in combat rather than out. The only remainders left of his once black hair are now small strands in his dark-gray hair. Zakruul has long and thin hair which is brushed back from his face, though some strands sit messily at the sides, along with two braids. His beard is scraggly and unkempt, hanging loosely from his chin. Zakruul's weapon of choice has always been the sword, though he has trained with and used before a variety of other weapons, such as polearms, axes, and bows. He keeps dedicated upkeep on his weaponry, and in turn Zakruul has only had four personal swords in his entire lifetime, more lost than broken. His choice of armor is often leather, and sometimes pieces of chainmail, as he enjoys increased mobility and relying on parrying, dodging, or using his enviroment instead of heavy armor for protection. Zakruul has worn plate before, the most notable time being during his time in the Northrend campaign, to protect against the harsh elements. Personality Background The Plains Zakruul was born in an interim Warsong encampment in the great plains of Nagrand, during a year of conflict with the ogres. Zakruul's mother, Grazari, a Warsong rider, died during childbirth, which deeply effected his father, Renn'thar, another Warsong rider. On the night of his birth, Renn'thar had considered killing Zakruul, although he turned back when he realized Zakruul was the only lasting legacy of his late wife. Instead, he took it upon himself to raise Zakruul, sacrificing his duty as a warrior in order to watch over him. Despite his decision to let Zakruul live, Renn'thar did not treat him with any kindess. Renn'thar was cold and bitter, and often reminded how Zakruul took his own mother's life. At a younger age than usual, Renn'thar began to teach Zakruul the ways of combat. Zakruul often pushed himself just to impress his father, although, he would never get the satisfaction of pleasing his father, no matter how well he did that day. Zakruul himself, became cold and detached from the world, although he did not resent this. He enjoyed being alone, where he did not have to deal with anybody but himself, where he could think about the world, and observe others and their behaviors as if he was invisible. Warrior Beginnings For a long while, Zakruul believed that he was poor warrior from his father's constant admonishment. Zakruul pushed himself as far as he could, and sometimes would wake up aching so much he could not move without grunting. Despite his outward demeanor, Zakruul's father was often impressed with how well his son's skills were progressing, and often found it difficult not to give him words of encouragement. Zakruul would not even realize his own exceptional skill in combat until his first altercation with another orc. Zakruul, who enjoyed being out of his tent and away from his father as often as he could, would often find spots to sit by himself and reflect or observe. However, one day on his tenth year he would be spotted by a group of three orcs, two ten and one twelve. The three approached Zakruul and began to insult his strangeness. Zakruul, to his own surprise, quickly lashed out in pent-up anger and threw the first punch, cracking the boy's fang. The three quickly began to send their own fists at Zakruul, and at first he felt overwhelmed. He would begin to fight back, knocking another orc in their head and causing them to falter as their nose bled. Zakruul then tripped another onto the ground and proceeded to grab a thin piece of timber broken off from a large piece and swung it against the oldest's head. The boy fell unconcious, and believing him dead, the two others and Zakruul ran in their separate directions immediately. After the incident, Zakruul gained a reputation among the young Warsong orcs. At the age of ten, Zakruul began to train with his father in the art of riding worgs, obtaining his first young worg Karveg. Worgriding, however, was a skill which Zakruul had great difficulty in the beginning. Despite this, his father continually urged him to practice by riding instead of walking long distances. For years he practiced, and eventually he became good. He was surprised as on his twelfth year, he rode from his encampment to Oshu'gun to attend the Kosh'harg by himself. The Kosh'harg In the autumn of Zakruul's thirteenth year, he and his father, like most years, attended the Kosh'harg. The Kosh'harg was once an exciting event, but eventually simply became tradition. Zakruul had become accustomed to the traditions of the other clans, and had learned many of the extensive differences each one shared. However, this one was far more significant than others. Here, Zakruul met his his uncle Muzakar for the first time. Once a Warsong blademaster, Muzakar abandoned his clan after an incident and proved himself among the Burning Blade. Bad blood existed between Zakruul's father and uncle afterwards, and Zakruul knew little to nothing about him except the fact he existed. Renn'thar and Zakruul encountered Muzakar by chance during the celebrations of the night. They exchanged few words, but the tension still existed between each other. However, Zakruul felt a burning urge to confront and learn more of Muzakar, having never met another of his blood besides his father. As Renn'thar spoke among the bonfire with veterans he once fought him, Zakruul searched for his uncle amidst the festivities. He was able to find him sharpening his blade and Muzakar was more than happy to speak with Zakruul. Zakruul was inquisitive, and spent several hours speaking with Muzakur with questions after questions. He learned a great deal of his father's past, and camed to understand why he was the way he was. Zakruul expressed his interest in learning the skills of a blademaster, to become a warrior beyond all other warriors. Few Blademasters were left within the Warsong Clan, and fewer he could turn to for training. Muzakur promised that one day he would train Zakruul, but as of now he was too young and had a duty to the Warsong. He promised that they would meet at another Kosh'harg. The Next Year The next year, in Zakruul's fourteenth year, he eagerly attended the following Kosh'harg in the spring, again alone with Karveg as his father had chosen to stay home, however, Zakruul began dissapointed when he could not find his uncle. He did, instead, meet another who would become a longtime friend. A young orc of the Shadowmoon Clan, who had recently shown the abilities to commune with the spirits. He congratulated the young orc, Calgraz, who was two years junior to Zakruul. The two spoke, and he was astonished to learn that Calgraz had never held a conversation with an orc of another clan, when Zakruul had encountered so many at the Kosh'harg every year. Zakruul eventually forgot his earlier disappointment with Muzakur's absence, and instead he shared stories with Calgraz until the festival started to die down. The two agreed to meet at the next Kosh'harg in two years. A deal which made Zakruul partially anxious, seeing as one promise was already broken. AdolescenceCategory:OrcCategory:WarsongCategory:HordeCategory:Krosh'narokCategory:Back story Zak